Phonograph recorder and reproducer



March 20, 1951 c. w. DANN ET AL 2,545,652

PHONOGRAPH RECORDER AND REPRODUCER Filed July 11, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4 2 IN V EN TORS Charles W. Danw.

BY Richard .Somers ATTORNEY March 20, 1951 c, w, DANN ET AL 2,545,652

PHONOGRAPH RECORDER AND REPRODUCER Filed July 11, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS .137 1 Charles W.Damz

| BY Richard .NLSomers 154 6%.. n4

ATTORNEY March 20, 1951 Filed July 11, 1945 c. w. DANN ET AL 2,545,652

PHONOGRAPH RECORDER AND REPRODUCER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY unit in reproducing position;

Patented Mar. 20, 1951 UNITED STATE PHONOGRAPH RECORDER AND REPRODUCER Charles W. Dann, Orange, and Richard M. Somers, West Orange, N. J., assignors to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, West Orange, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application July 11, 1945, Serial No. 604,316

This invention relates to a phonograph and particularly to a combination recorder and recan be reproduced.

This invention may utilize piezoelectric crystals for recording and reproducing sound. The

machine in which the invention is to be used may be provided with well-known means for starting and stopping. It is provided with improved means for controlling the conditioning of a recorder-reproducer.

In carrying out the present invention provision is made to damp unwanted vibrations'of the recorder-reproducer mechanism when it is in its recording position and also to prevent the styli carried thereby from striking the record carrier when no record is mounted thereon. Provision is also made to permit lateral movement of the recorder-reproducer unit when it is in its reproducing position and to prevent such movement when it is in its recording position. Further provision is also made for obtaining different biasing efiects on the recording and reproducing styli when in operating positions. Provision is also made for electrical shielding when the recorder-reproducer is of the electrical type. 7

Other features and advantages of the inven-' tion will be obvious as the description proceeds.

The invention may be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is a plan view of a phonograph partly broken away in which the recorder-reproducer is of the piezoelectric type;

Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section, of the phonograph shown in Fig. l, the section being taken on line 2-2 of the latter figure;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 6 showing the recorder-reproducer unit in recording position;

A mandrel is provided 7 Claims. (01. 274-30) Fig. is a bottom plan view of the recorderreproducer unit; 7

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the recorder: reproducer mechanism housing assembly;

' Fig. '7 is a sectional view, with parts in elevation, showing the recorder-reproducer unit in neutral position;

Fig. 8 is a plan view, on a reduced scale, of the housing shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation ofthe same.

Fig. 10 is a top plan View, partly in section, of the recorder-reproducer unit; and

Fig. 11 is a side view showing some of the details.

In the drawings, reference characters I and 2 indicate the upper edge portions of the front and back walls of a cabinet. Hinges 3 are provided along the upper edge of the wall 2 and are connected to a top plate 4. One or more inwardly projecting stops or lugs are provided along the front wall I of the cabinet upon which the rib 5' of the top plate 4 normally rests. A pair of integral upwardly projecting standards is provided on the top plate 4. A mandrel carries the cylindrical record 8. Another standard 9 is provided upon the plate 4. One end of. the mandrel shaft I0 is journalled in the standard 9,

' the other end being free.

A belt l2 from a motor, not shown, drives a pulley l3 that is journalled on a stud shaft l4 anchored in standard 6. A clutch member 15 is attached to the pulley l3 and is adapted to be engaged by a mating clutch member it that is operated by an arm I! in the known way to connect the clutch members. A gear l8 on shaft l9 meshes with the gear I9' on a. stud shaft is. The gear l9 meshes with a gear 20 fixed on shaft 2| which is the feed screw. The feed screw 2i has conical journals 22 in its ends for corresponding studs 23 supported in the standards 6. Feed screw 2| is threaded for a portion 24 of its length.

I Smooth support rods 25 and 26 are provided that are parallel with the feed screw 2| aiid are anchored in the standards 6 by holding screws 25' and 26'. Rod 25 is mounted to turn in its bearings and is retained in place by screws 25 which projects onto an annular groove in rod 25. An adjustable stop 21 is provided on the rod 28 and a sleeve 3!! is provided on the rod 25. The sleeve 3|] is rigidly attached to the recorder-reproducer carriage which is to be described later. An arcuate slot 3| (Figs. 3, 4 and 7) is provided in the sleeve 30. A longitudinal slot 32 is provided in the rod 25. A pin 32 has a reduced end that slides in slot 32 and is adapted to turn the rod 25 in the sleeve 30 to the extent permitted by the slot 3I. For this purpose the pin 32 is screwed into the barrel 45 to be described.

Reference character 35 indicates the carriage of the combined recorder-reproducer. It is slidable along the rods 25 and 26. A control lever 88 (Figs. 1 and 2) is pivoted on pin 39 on a side wall of the carriage 35. This lever has a projection 46 which is pivoted at its lower end to one end of the link II. The other end of this link is connected by pin 42 (Figs. 1, 2 and '2) to the extension 44 of the barrel 45 that is journalled on the sleeve 30.

Extensions 44 and 44 (Figs. 3, 4 and 7) of the barrel 45 carry a transverse pin 58 on which a roller 59 is mounted.

Notches 55 and 56' are provided in a detent lever i pivoted on shaft or rod 55 that is mounted in carriage 35. The roller 49 is adapted to engage these notches and hold the control lever 38 in different positions. The detent lever 5i has a bevelled end 52 against which the roller 59 rests when the arm 38 is raised to its highest position. A spring 54 urges the detent lever 5i in a clockwise direction (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) The ends of a slot 56 (Fig. 2) in the wall of the carriage 35 serve to limit the motion of the control lever 38.

A feed nut lever 58 (Figs. 1 and 2) is pivoted on shaft 55 that is anchored in the side walls of carriage 35. A cross portion 59 of the lever 58 has lugs 59 at its ends by means of which this lever is pivoted on shaft 55. A cam 59 extends forwardly and downwardly from the por-- tion 56 to cooperate with the roller 49. An upward extension 5i (Figs. 1 and 2) is provided on the lever 58 and a tension spring 52 urges the lever 58 me clockwise direction. The rear extension 63 of the lever 58 carries a feed nut 66.

The present invention embodies an improved recorder-reproducer which may, for example, be of the piezoelectric type and can be located in the carriage 35. It is selectively conditioned for operation by actuating the control lever 38.

A substantially circular metal housing II (Figs. 6-9) is provided for the recorder-reproducer. This'housing i I is prevented from electrically contacting other metal parts of the apparatus, particularly the carriage 35 by providing an insulating casin "it which fits the outer configuration of said housing. The casing It has a flange (Fig. 7) resting upon carriage 35 and the housing II has a flange 'II' resting upon the casing '50 to locate the parts in position in the carriage 35. Both the casing I0 and the housing H have similar openings I2 at their bottom (Figs. 3 and 4). The housing H is provided with a cover (Fig. '7) comprising an inner substantially circular metal hOllSlIlg Na and an outer insulating casing 10a; this cover being removably secured in place on said housing III by a screw 69. ;;This housing assembly is mounted in a, substantially circular opening in the forward portion of the carriage 35 and is removably held in place by suitable retaining screws 35' (Figs. 1 and 2).

Two similar parallel spaced ribs or rails "I'I (Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9) are provided at the bottom of the housing II and are integral therewith. A cross pin III to be described later, is adapted to rest on the upper edges of the rails Tl.

Pins 80 and 8| (Figs. 6, 8 and 9) are provided in housing 'II to pivot a bail 82 (Figs. 6, 7 and 11) which ha a central finger 83 at its lower end and arms 84 and 84 (Fig. 6) at its upper end. One

end of a tension spring 85 is secured to the arni 84 and the other end of this spring is connected to a pin 83 secured to the housing ll, thus urging the bail 82 in a clockwise direction. This bail 82 is limited in its clockwise movement by the end of slots 82' provided in rails TI. The arm 84 (Figs. 6, 7 and 11) carries a roller 88 on a pin 89 at its upper end, which roller cooperates with a cam arm 55 having a sleeve 9i journalled on a loosely mounted pin 92 that extends through a hole 93 provided in the lug 94 extending from housing Ii. The sleeve 9i extends outwardly (Figs. 1 and 6) and the hub 65 of a lever arm 96 (Figs. 2 and 6) is attached to this sleeve. Rotatably mounted on the end of lever arm 66 is a roller 96a (Figs. 1 and 2) which engages or rides on and coacts with the control lever 38. The hub 37 of sleeve 9! which is integral with cam arm 95 projects into the notch 98 (Figs. 6, 7 and 8) at the upper portion of the housing ii to keep this cam and lever assembly in place.

A frame I55 (Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7) has end flanges HM and side extensions 502 with flanges I83 (Fig. 6) thereon by means of which it is pivoted on the shaft 52. Pivots I55 that are threaded near their outer ends are screwed into threaded holes that extend through the flanges I (ii. A supporting member or carrier I58 (Figs. 3, 4 and 7) for the recorder-reproducer unit is pivoted on the pivots I55.

The pin or shaft 92 is provided with a collar 92a (Fig. 6) which coacts with one of the flanges I03 of frame I62) to limit longitudinal movement of said pin in one direction; and normally this pin is maintained in its proper position (as shown in Fig. 6) against appreciable lengthwise movement by the cover We, Ila of the housing ii. It will be apparent that if said cover We, Ha, is removed from housing ii, the pin 9-2 can be disengaged from the sleeve 95 of cam arm 96, lug 9A of said housing and flanges I53 of frame I66, merely by slidin said pin to the left (Figs. 1 and 6); and thereupon the cam arm and the parts carried thereby and attached thereto, and also the entire recorder-reproducer assembly comprising the frame I56, the carrier Hi8 and the recorder-reproducer unit itself, may be readily removed from the housing H for inspection, repair or other purpose. Also these parts can be quickly and easily assembled and replaced in their proper relative positions within the housing II as shown in Fig. 6.

An extension or enlarged portion I69 of'the carrier I58 has a transverse opening II 6 therethrough. A pin iii extends across the opening H6 and a lever !i2 is journalled on the pin I in opening HE. A projection H3 (Fig. 4) is provided at the lower end of the lever I I2 and a notch I M is provided at the upper end of this lever. A tension spring H5 extends from the notch IM to a lug IIS on the carrier I08.

The recorder-reproduce: unit has a body portion consistingof juxtaposed pieces of recessed insulating material 626 and IN (Figs. 3, 4 and 7) hollowed out along the insides to provide a cavity when assembled to contain a type of a transducer which, as shown, is in the form of a conventional electric bimorph element I22 which is clamped at one end and at the middle between damping pads I23 and I24 in the well known manner. The body portion pieces I26 and I2! are firmly securedtogether by two pairs of screws I36 and 540. A rigid stylus holder I 26 is securely attached to the free end of the transducing element I 22 and has spaced arms record is mounted on said carrier.

I21 with an integral cross-piece I28 at the outer ends of these arms in which the recording stylus I29is mounted. A nose piece I30 extends downwardly slightly at the end portion of the recorder-reproducer unit and is fastened by the screws I30 (Figs. 5,7 and to the body portion pieces I20, I2I. An inwardly extending lip I3I provided on the nose-piece I30 serves as a stop for the reproducer stylus holder I33 (Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 7) The reproducer stylus holder I33 has side flanges I34 journalled on a cross -pin I35 that is supported in the nose piece I30. The holder I33 has a spring extension I35 of which the end is adapted to bear on the cross piece I28. A reproducerstylus I3! is mounted at the outer end of the stylus holder I33.

. A screw I40 (Figs. 3-5) passes through the end 'of the body portion I2I of the recorder-reproducer unit and into a threaded hole in a metal hinge plate I4I that is provided with a slot I42 for the projection II3 on lever II2. A tension spring I44 has one end connected to a strap I45 which is held by the screw I40 and the other end of this spring is connected to the lug I I6 on car rier I08. A friction damping spring strip I48 (Figs. 3, 4 and '7) is clamped by the screw I40 to the body piece I2 I. A fixed ball I49 is clamped in an opening in extension I89 of carrier I08 to be contacted by the free end portion of spring strip I48 when the device is in recording position as shown in Fig. 3.

The hinge plate I4I (Figs. 3, 5, 7 and 10) is provided with side arms or flanges I54 having holes near their ends by which the recorder-reproducer unit is pivoted on the conical ends I56 of pin III to the carrier I08. The screw I5! is for adjusting the tightness of this plate I4I on pin III, which pin is tight in the side walls of opening IIO.

Integral projections I50 (Figs. 3, 5 and 7) having bevelled ends and bevelled inner sides are provided along the bottom of the body piece I2 I.

A pin I5i (Fig. 3) is secured to a flexible shaft I5Ia which is located in a recess 14 in the front wall of the housing 7 I. Also secured to this shaft is a screw I5Ib. The pin I5! extends through a hole I5 in the lower part of said housing and is located so that it is adapted to be engaged by the hinge plate MI at approximately the point designated I4I' (Fig. 5), thus serving to limit the downward movement of the recorder-reproducer unit when the'latter is in recording position, to prevent the stylus I29 from being broken by contact with the record carrier 1 when no record is mounted on the latter. Another pin I5I' (Fig. 4) is secured to a flexible shaft I5Ia' which is located in a recess 14' in the wall of housing II. Also secured to shaft I5Ia' is a screw I5Ib. The pin I5I extends through a hole 15' in the bottom wall portion of said housing and is located so that it is adapted to be engaged by the flat lower surface I55 (Fig. 5) of one of the projections I58 of the body piece I2I, thus serving as a limit stop to prevent the stylus I31 from being broken by the record carrier 1 when the recorderreproducer unit is in reproducing position and no Screws I5Ib and I5Ib are for adjusting the positions of pins I5I and I5I', respectively.

The frame I00: and the carrier I08 having the fixed pin III on which the recorder-reproducer 'un it is pivotally mounted by the hinge plate I4I, are biased by gravity and also by a strong tension spring 89 anchored at its ends respectively to the housing II and a lug provided on said frame,

neutral or to'recording condition; but when said assembly is properly adjusted for reproducing the frame I00 and carrier I08 will be in the slightly tilted position shown in Fig. 4.

The surface of cam arm 90 with which the roller 88 carried by the bail arm 84 cooperates, comprises two cam sections 901; and 90b and an intermediate section or dwell 900 which is concentric with the pivotal axis of the cam arm.

' Also the cam arm has a portion or heel I60 which is adapted to coact, as hereinafter described, with a lug I6I provided on the frame I00 in the adjustment of the recorder-reproducer assembly fromneutral to reproducing position and from reproducing to neutral position.

The lead I8 (Figs. 6, v and 10 from one terminal of the piezoelectric transducer is connected to an insulated and shielded conductor, not shown, that is brought in through channel 180. (Figs. 6 and 8) from an amplifier of the usual sort that is used for amplifying the electrical impulses that are either transmitted to the transducer or received from it. The lead 19 extends from the other terminal of the crystal transducer to the frame I00 and is grounded to the latter as by soldering. Only portions of these leads are shown so as not to confuse the drawing. These leads are well shielded electrically since they are for the most part enclosed by the metal housing II and the metal cover housing Ila. Even the lower portions of these leads are shielded, where they pass through the opening I2 in the housing II for the recorder-reproducer assembly, by the metal plate MI and its flanges I54.

The construction and arrangement are such that when the control lever 38 is in its intermediate neutral position (Fig. 2) it is releasably held in that position, through the medium of link 4| and barrel 45, by the engagement of the roller 49 carried by said barrel, with the notch in the spring-biased detent lever 5! (Fig. 7)

' and the feed-nut lever 58 is then held, against "with a high portion of the cam 59 secured to said lever. The frame I00 and carrier I08 are then in the above described sharply tilted position with pin I I I pressed against the rail W; and the control lever 38 through the medium of the freely pivoted cam and lover arm assembly 90-5501 holds the ball 82 against the urge of spring 85, in the pivotal position shown in 7 with its lower end spaced from the stop walls 82' of rails 11. The roller 88 on the ball, then engages the cam arm 80 of said assembly at a point which is approximate the junction of the cam and dwell sections 90a. and 980. In this pivotal position of bail 82 the end of its finger 83 engages the body piece I2I of the recorder-reproducer unit at a point between the beveled proto its range of lateral play or movement about the pivotal axis of the carrier I08 therefor. When the recorder-reproducer unit is in such raised position the free end of the springstrip I48 bears lightly on the ball I49 secured to the carrier I08.

The operation is as follows:

If the apparatus is adjusted to neutral with the recorder-reproducer unit and the associated parts in the positions just described, and the user wishes to record, he places a record cylinder 8 upon mandrel '3, starts the motor, moves the carriage 35 along rods 25 and 25 to proper position, and presses the control lever 38 (Fig. 2) downwardly about the pivot pin 39 to its lowermost or recording position; and he then engages the clutch I --I6 in the usual way to drive shaft and proceeds to dictate. The movement of lever (38 to its lowermost position causes link ll and pin t2 (Fig. 2 and right-hand portion of Fig. 7) to turn the barrel 5 counterclockwise to the position shown in the right-hand portion of Fig. 3 where it is releasably held by the engagement of the roller .49 carried by said barrel with the notch 59 of the spring-biased detent lever 5I to thereby likewise hold lever 38 in said lowermost position. This movement of control lever 38 also causes the roller 48 to ride over and to a lower point of the cam 59' of feed nut lever 58, thus permitting the latter to turn clockwise on shaft 55 under the action of spring 62 and bring the feed nut 6ft into engagement with feed screw 2|. Engagementof the clutch numbers i5, Iii, will then .cause the carriage 35 to be moved along rods 25 and 26 at the proper rate for the cutting of a record groove in the cylinder 8 by the stylus I29. The adjustment of lever 38 from neutral to recording position also results in clockwise movement of the bail 32 under the action of spring 85, to the position shown in Fig. 3 where it engages the stop walls 82' of rails TI.

.As the bail 32 moves to this position the roller 38 carried thereby rides onto and along the cam section 90a of arm 95 and the cam and lever arm assembly 9Ii--96a under the action of gravity and the spring 85, is turned counterclockwise, with the lever arm 95 following control lever .38 in its downward movement, until the cam arm 90 reaches the position shown in Fig. 11 where the roller 83 engages the lowest point of the cam section 88a. The recorder-reproducer unit under the action of gravity, follows the bail 82 during part of the latters movement to the position shown in Fig. 3 and swings downwardly about pivot pin III until the recording stylus I29 is brought into engagement with the record cylinder. The finger 83 of bail 82 remains in contact with the body piece I 2| of the recorder-reprodueer unit at a point between the projections I50 throughout such downward movement of said unit, and accordingly the stylus I29 is engaged with the cylinder 8 in proper centralized position. The recorder-reproducer unit when in this recording position, is in an obtuse angular relation to the frame I00 and carrier I08 (see Fig. 3); also the stylus I29 engages the record cylinder 8 under a comparatively light pressure because the spring H5 attached to lever H2 is then in a collapsed condition, the projection II3 of this lever is in spaced relation to the edges of the slot or opening I42 in hinge plate MI and the spring I44 is distended and acts to oifset or counterbalance to a marked degree the weight of the recorder-reproducer unit and therefore the effective force with which the stylus I29 engages the cylinder. 'It is further apparent that when the recorder-.reproducer assembly has thus been adremains engaged with the rails I! under considera'bly pressure, whereby under normal oper-- ating conditions the carrier I08 and the recorderreproducer unit are effectively held from lateral or side-wise movement about the pivotal axis of said carrier. Also in this adjustment of the recorderereproducer assembly the spring arm I48 engages the ball I49 with a considerable pressure and acts as a damping means during recording .to prevent unwanted high frequency vibrations being set up in the transducer mounting.

If it is now desired to restore the recorderrepreducer assembly to neutral condition in order to backspace the carriage 35, or to remove or replace the record cylinder, or for any other purpose, control lever 38 is merely moved from its lowermost recording position to its intermediate neutral position (Fig. 2), whereupon the record- 'cr-reproducer unit and associated parts are returned to the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 7. In this movement of the control lever the following things take place: The control lever by means or link 4| and pin .32.. moves the barrel 45 clockwise causing the roller 49 on pin 48 to ride .over the cam lever 5i from the notch 50 and into the notch 58) (Fig. 2) and also causing said roller to ride over the cam 59' of feed nut lever 58 from the low cut away portion 59b of said cam to the adjacent high portion thereof whereby said lever is turned counter-clockwise to disengage the feed nut 64 from feed screw 2I. At the same time lever 35 turns the cam and lever arm assembly 95-53% clockwise about shaft 92 whereupon the arm so of this assembly moves ball 82 counterclockwise about the pins .8I against the action of spring 35. In this movement of bail 8.2 roller 33 rides over the cam section 980. of arm and onto the adiacentdwell 90c, and the finger v83 engages and raises the recorder-reproducer unit about pin iii out of operative relation to the record cylinder 8 and it also centralizes said unit (if not already centralized) by coacting with one of the opposed inclined surfaces of the projections I513.

If withthe recorder-reproducer assembly and associated parts in neutral, ii; is desired to condition the same for reproducing, the control lever 38 is moved upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 to its highest or reproducing position. In this movement lever 38 turns barrel 45 clockwise thereby causing the roller 49 to ride over detent lever 5| from the notch 56 onto the beveled end 52 (see Fig. i) and also causing said roller to ride over the cam 59' of feed nut lever 58 irom the high point of said cam (see Fig. 2) and onto the adjacent inclined .end portion thereof. Thereupon the springm turns lever l8 clockwise on shaft 55 so as to bring the feed nut 64 into engagement with feed screw 2I. In its upward movement to reproducing position lever.38 also turns the cam and lever arm assembly ec sea clockwise .aboutshaft 92 from the position thereof shown in Figs. 2 and -7, whereupon theheellfiil of cam arm 90 is brought into engagement with the lug I6! on frame I00 and thereby said frame and the carrier I08 are turned clockwise about shaft 92 to the slightly inclined positionshown in Fig. 4. In this clockwise movement of frame Iilfi and carrier I 08, the pivot pin II! on which the recorder-reproducer unit is mounted is raised from engagement with the rails 17 and said unit is carried upwardly and leftwardly to a point wherethe reproducer stylus i3? is in opposed operative relation to the record cylinderB. During the major portion of these clockwise movements of the cam-and lever arm 9 assembly 90-96a and offrame I and carrier I08, the roller 83 on bail 82 rides over the dwell 900 of cam arm as and said bail is accordingly maintained substantially in the position shown in Fig. '7 with the bottom thereof spaced from the stop walls 82 and with. the finger 83 engaged with the body piece !25 of the recorder-reproducer unit between the projections i50 thereof to thereby maintain said unit in raised inoperative position with respect to the record cylinder 8, but at the same time said recorder-reproducer unit is caused to move counter-clockwiseabout pin III with respect to frame I00 and carrier I08 to a relatively acute angular position. In this counter-clockwise movement of the recorderreproducer unit with respect to the carrier I08 the spring strip 548 is raised'from engagement with ball I69, the spring IN is collapsed and the edge of the slot or opening I42 in hinge plate MI is engaged with the projection H3 of lever H2 so as to move said lever counter-clockwise I and thereby extend the spring tension II5 (see Fig. l). In the latter minor portion of the clockwise movement of cam arm 90 efiected by the movement of lever to its uppermost position, the roller 88 rides from dwell 900 of said arm onto the abrupt cam section 001) whereupon spring 85 moves bail 82 clockwise into engagement with stop walls 82 and the finger 83 out of engagement with the recorder-reproducer unit. Under the actions of gravity and spring II5, said unit then moves downwardly aboutpin III the slight distance required to bring the reproducing stylus IE'Iinto contact with the recordcylinder 8. As the finger seis not disengaged from the recorderreproducer unit until just before the stylus I3? contacts the cylinder 8, it assured that said unit will reach its operative position when centralized in respect of its lateral play. The recorder-reproducer unit and associated parts will now be in the positions shown in Fig. 4. It is apparent that gravity and spring Ii'E will then maintain the stylus IS? in engagement with cylinder 8 under a relatively high pressure and also that the recorder-reproducer unit and therefore said stylus 5;? may readily be moved, to a limited extent, in either direction about the pivotal axis of the carrier I08. Therefore during reproducing the stylus I31 will be effectively engaged with and faithfully follow the sound record groove. .Also as the pivoted holder 93.3 for the stylus I31 engages and coacts with the rigid element I26 through the spring arm I30 thereof the danger :of breaking said stylus is greatly minimized.

In case it is desired to adjust the recorderreproducer assembly and associated parts from reproducing to neutral condition, the control lever 38 is moved downwardly to its intermediate or neutral position (Fig. 2) whereupon said assembly and parts are brought to the positions shown in Figs. 2 and '7 and hereinbefore described. In this movement of lever 38 the following things take place: The lever 38 through its link and pin connection M, 42 with the barrel 55, turns the latter counter-clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. '7. This causes roller 48 to ride over the detent lever M from the bevelled end 52 thereof to the notch 53' and also causes said roller to ride over the cam 55 of feed nut lever 50 along the inclined end portion and onto the adjacent high portion thereof and thereby effects contra-clockwise movement of lever 58 to raise the feed nut 6 from engagement with the feed screw 2! (see Fig. 2). Concurrently and under the action of gravity 10 and of tension spring 89', the structure comprising the frame I00, carrier I08 and the recorderreproducer unit supported on the latter are moved contra-clockwise until the pivot pin III is brought into engagement with rails I1; and the cam and lever armassembly 90-9611 is likewise turned contra-clockwise about shaft 92 and follows the movement of the control lever by reason of the engagement of roller 96a with said lever, until the cam arm 90 reaches the position shown in Fig. 7. In such contra-clockwise movement of the cam and lever arm assembly 90-90a, the roller 88 on bail 82 rides over the cam arm 90 from the abrupt cam section 902) onto the dwell 90c. Cam section 901) then coacts with said roller to turn the bail counter-clockwise against the action of the relatively weak spring 85 and there* by causes the finger 83 of said bail to engage the body piece I2l of the recorder-reproducer unit at some point within the space defined by the opposed inclined sides of the projections I50 to thereby raise said unit about pin I I I to inoperative position with both of the styli I29 and I3? out of engagement with cylinder 8 and at the same time to centralize said unit in respect of its normal lateral play when in reproducing position.

What is claimed is:

1. In a phonographic translating device adapted for coaction with a record and including a sup-' port means; the combination of a translating unit connected to said support means for uni versal movement relative to the record, means for conditioning said unit for recording and reproducing respectively, means comprising relatively movable elements carried, with said support meansand said unit respectively and in frictional association with each other for frictionally damping movements of the unit in directions towards and away from the record, and means operable by said conditioning means for efiectively associating said damping means with said unit only when the unit is conditioned for recording.

2. In a phonographic translating device adapted for coaction with a record: the combination of a support means, a translating unit pivoted to said support means on an axis substantially parallelto the record for movement towards and away from the record, and means for damping pivotal movement of said unit comprising a flat spring element and a ball element in slidable frictional engagement with the spring element, one of said elements being carried by said unit and the other being carried by said support means.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein the contacting surface of said spring element is substantially normal to the plane through said pivot axis and through the point of contact between said spring and ball elements.

4. In a phonographic translating device adapted for selectively recording on and reproducing from a moving record: the combination .of a translating unit having recording and reproducing styli and biased towards the record, a frame, support means pivoted to said frame, means pivotally connecting said unit to said support means for universal movement relative to the record, means for pivoting said support means to move said styli selectively into engagement with the record, means effective on said unit for counteracting partially the bias of said unit against the record, means for augmenting the bias of the unit towards the record comprising a lever pivoted to said support means and operable against said unit, and spring means operatively connected between said support means and said lever for urging the lever against said unit; and stop means on said support means moved against said lever for disengaging the lever from said unit to disable said bias-augmenting means as said support means is pivoted to place said recorder stylus into contact with the record.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said bias-counteracting means comprises a tension spring connected between points on said unit and support means which are moved towards each other to reduce the counteracting efiect of said spring as said device is conditioned for reproducing.

6. In a phonographic translating device adapted for coaction with a moving record: the combination of a frame, a translating unit pivotally supported on said frame in a downwardlyinclined direction for engagement with a mounted record, a stop screw-threaded in a lower part of said frame in directions substantially parallel to the adjacent surface of a mounted record for engaging the under side of said translating unit to limit its movement towards the record, rotatably mounted means at the top of said device, and a flexible shaft connected b tween said stop and said rotatably-mounted means for adjusting the former by the latter.

'7. In a phonographic translating device adapted for coaction with a moving record: the combination of a frame, a translating unit movably mounted on said frame and including recording and reproducing styli, said unit being urged towards the record, means for shifting said unit relative to said frame to place said styli selectively into engagement with the record whereby to operatively condition said device selectively for recording and reproducing, said unit having a flat under surface provided with a depending projection, said projection having a dimension in the direction of shifting movement of the unit less than the distance of said shifting movement, and adjustable stops in said frame one of which is positioned to engage said flat under surface to limit the downward movement of said unit when in one of its operative conditions and the other of which is positioned to engage said projection to limit the downward movement of said unit when the unit is in the other of its operative conditions.

CHARLES W. DANN.

RICHARD M. SOMERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are 'of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,067,530 Lindstrom July 15, .1913 1,080,231 Rawles Dec. 2, 1913 1,283,771 Holland Nov. 5, 1918 1,783,723 King Dec. 2, 1930 1,816,831 Dunning Aug. 4, 1931 1,996,511 Harrison Apr. 2, 1935 2,090,957 Bender Aug. 24, 1937 2,113,401 Goldsmith Apr. 5, 1938 2,145,389 Dally Jan. 31, 1939 2,174,692 Dunning Oct. 3, 1939 2,181,437 Norton Nov. 28, 1939 2,213,478 Sivanson Sept. 3, 1940 2,266,781 Lucarelle et al. Dec. 23, 1941 2,294,575 Schneider Sept. 1, 194.2 2,318,098 Rieber May 4, 1943 2,320,572 Dann June .1, 1943 2,326,625 Di Toro Aug. 10, 1943 2,341,468 Neumann Feb. 8, 1944 

